Road band



Spt. l1, 1934. E. MccoRMlK m' AL 197357-5 ROAD BAND Filed May 13. 1932 l n IIZ I N VEN TORS www Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED` STATE-s RoAD BAND Elmer rMcCormick and John E. Cade, Waterloo,

Iowa, assignors to John Deere Tractor Company, Waterloo, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application May 13, 1932, Serial No. 611,151

6 Claims. (Cl. 301-39) Our invention relates to road bands which are adapted to be applied to the wheels of a tractor or other vehicle having grousers or 'lugs thereon ,to prevent damage to the highway or eld over which the tractor is operated or the vehicle is drawn. Y

One of the objects of our invention is to provide an improved road band which comprises .an endless rimhaving a smooth continuous tread surface.

Another objectv of our invention is to provide an endless road band which is adapted to be mounted over the grousers or lugs of the drive wheeland to be supported by the wheel independently of the grousers or lugs on the wheel.l

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved attaching means for the road band by which it may be quickly attached to or detached from the wheel without removing the grousers orlugs from the Wheel.

vAnother object is to construct the attaching means in such a manner as to take care of variatlons in the diameter of the wheel and road lband as occur in the manufacture thereof. A

' particular feature of our impro-ved attaching lmeans is that the adjustment for variations in the diameter of the wheel and road band is provided for Ywithout relieving the clamping bolt, which forms a part thereof, from taking a portion of theload. under shearing stress.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent to thoser skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one embodiment of our invention as applied to a tractor drive wheel.

In the drawingz- Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a` conventional tractor wheel showing our improved road band Vsecured thereto by means of our improved attaching means;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1 through one of the attaching means; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational view showing one of the attaching means. The two members comprising the attaching means are shown in full linesin one position of adjustment and in dotted lines in another.

The tractor Wheel in connection with which I have chosen to illustrate my invention is of the open treadtype and comprises two spaced parallel rim members 5 and radially extending spokes 6. The outer ends of spokes 6 are secured between rim members 5 and serve also to hold the rim members in spaced relation. A plurality of grousers or traction lugs 7 are spaced around the periphery of rims 5 and are secured thereto by means of bolts 8. The bolts 8 extend inwardly from the lugs and through'rthe space'between the rim members 5. A clip 9 and retaining nut 10 areprovided on theinner end of each bolt 8 and serve to lockthe grouser Yor lug 7 in the desired position.

V T he road `band comprises an endless circular rim 11 which is formed of a flat stock section disposed in such va manner as to provide a smooth tread surface 12, and having its edges rolled inwardly to form lside flanges 13.v The road band is supported on the tractor drivewheel by attaching means comprising a plurality of pairs of cooperating supporting brackets 14 and 15 which are secured, respectively, to the circular rim l1 of the road band and rim members 5 of the drive wheel. Supporting bracket 14 4is securely attached to circular rim 11 by means of rivets 16, and bracket 15,isvsecured to the rim members 5 by bolt.17. The bolt 17 extends between rim members 5, and a clip 18 and nut 19 are provided Y on the inner end of each bolt. l

An inwardly extending member '21 is formed on bracket 14 and is of sufiicient length to overlap an outwardlyfextending member 22 which is on bracket 15. yThe members 21 and 22 are clamped together byjmeans of bolt 23 and nut 24. Asquare neck portion 25 is provided on bolt 23 and is adapted to extend through a square hole 26 formed in member 2l and into a slot 27 formed Y in member 22. The hole 26 and slot 27 are preferably disposedat an angle between 25 and 35 `for a purposek to be presently described.

Slight variations in the diameter of the circular rim 11 and rim members 5 occur in manufacture andit is. thereforedesirable toAV provide Van adjustable connection between the supporting brackets 14 and 15' to compensate for these variations. This in the present invention has been provided by the slot 27 in member 22 of bracket 15. `By loosening bolt 23 and then shifting bracket 15 inwardly or outwardly, within the limits of the slot 27, the diameter of the area defined lby brackets 15 can be increased or decreased. In Figure 3 bracket 15 is shown in full lines in one position relative to bracket 14, and in dotted lines in another.y Due to the angle of slot 27, the inward or outward shifting of bracket 15 is at an angle to a radius of the wheel passing through the bracket.

By positioning the slot 27 at an angle relative to the base of bracket 15, and by disposing the hole 27 in member 22 so that two opposite sides thereof are at a corresponding angle, this adjustment is provided for with the bolt 23 still capable of taking a share of the load by being under shearing stress. This, of course, would not be the case if the slot 27 were positioned radially with respect to the wheel. In the latter case, the frictionbetween vthe two "members 21 and 22 would need to be sufficient to carry the entire load. In our improved design, while-the bolt 23 may of course be tightened to the point where V-riations in the diameter of said drive wheel and saidmoad band.

the friction between members 21 and 22 is sufcient to carry the entire load, it is not necessary, that this be done, since any 'tendency of slippage between these members will be 'resisted by the bolt 23 being stressed in shear.

If the angle of slot 27 relative to thebase of bracket 15 were equal to the angle of repose, the.:V tendency of the load stressing the bolt 2 3 in shearl to cause movement of the bolt along the inclined surface of. the sloty would be entirely overcome by the friction between the vbolt and the inclined surface of the slot. A I-Iowever, since'movement of the bolt along the inclined surfaceof the slot is also resisted by thefriction 'between members 21 and 22, bolt `231being confined in the square hole in member 21,'bolt 23 willbe held against movement along theinclined surface of slot 27, even though the anglev thereof relative tothe .base of bracket l5 be considerably greater than the angleof repose, and We preferto make itso in. orderto obtain a greater range of adjustment with the same width 'of bracket-15.

When4 it is-desired to operate the tractor over an improved highway or in a eld where damage will result from the traction lugs of the tractor wheel, Athe vroad bandi may be easily: andjexpeditiously mountedover the lugs to provide a smooth tread surface. fhebrackets 15 are attached .to the respective brackets le and the nuts 2 4; are left slightly loose so that bracket v1`5"rnay be adjusted slightlyfafterthe road band hasbeen lmounted on.the \t'rheel.V ,The tractor Wheel is `raised from the'g'r'oun'd by means of a' jackfan'd the road band With the brackets '15` thereonuis fitted over lthe wheel. Thewheel rim '11 isffthen shifted, if necessary, to provide uniform clearance between the tractiony lugs. and. rim at all points, and by tapping the yrim or lthe brackets 15 with ahammer to bring them "into proper position. The bolts. 23 and thebolts 17 are then tightenedto `lock the rim in place.. i

While we have described, in connection with the accompanying drawing,the speciiic form in which We prefer to embody our invention, widely `different means maybe employed in the practice of the broader aspects of our invention.A

What we claim, therefore, and desire to secure vby Letters Patent is:

1. In combinationwith a Wheel comprising a rim and traction lugs lsecured on the periphery of the rim, of a road band mountedoverthe traction lugs-and means for securing the road band on said rim, said. means comprisinga plurality `of pairs of overlapping membersadapted to be Aclamped together, one member of ,'e'a'ch'pair'being fixed to the bandandthe other member of each pair. being removably connected'to saidr rim, said members being-detachably connected 'and adjustable relatively toeach Votherito compensate for variations in thediameter ofsaid wheel and said road band.v

2. In combination with a wheel comprising a rim and traction lugs secured on the periphery of the rim, of a road band mounted over the traction lugs, and means for securing the road band on said rim, said means comprising a plurality of pairs of overlapping members, a bolt for each pair of members adapted to clamp said members together, said bolt being supported in one member, and a slotin the companion' member adapted to receive .said bolt, said slot permitting relative adjustment of the members to compensate for va- 3. Incombination with a wheel comprising a rim' andtia'ct'ion lugs secured on the periphery of the rim', of a road band mounted over the traction lugs, andmeans for securing the road band on said rim, said means comprising a plurality of pairs of overlapping members, a bolt for each pair of members adapted to clamp said members together, said bolt being supported in one of the members slot inthe companion member adapted to receive said boltand to permit relative adjustmentofthe members, said slot being disposed atan anglerelative' to ya'radius ofthe Wheel passing through the slot.

t. An auxiliary' band having attaching means fori` attaching vthe band to a wheel, comprising overlapping `members,"one ofwhich is fixed to the band and the other of which is adapted to be secured to the wheel, and a bolt for securing said members together, one of said lmembers having a hole therein for receiving said bolt and the other pf. saidfmembershaving a slot therein through which'said bolt mayjhe extendedsaid slot being positioned Vatan anglejwith respect to a radius of ysaid ban'dpassing throughthe slot. l

` 5. Anj auxiliary handhaving attachingv means for attaching the'band to a wheel, comprising overlapping members, oneof which is fixed to the band and theotherfofwhich'isadapted to be secured tothe wheel, and abolt for securing said lrnenibers together, one of' said members: having a hole therein forreceiving said bolt and the other of said members having a slot therein through vwhichfsaid bolt' may be extended, said slot being' positioned vat an angle with respect to a radius of said band passing through the slot, saidv angle being such that thejfric'tion between said" members plus the friction of said bolt upon the inclined surface of said slot is sufiicient to overcome the tendency of saidbolt-to be moved along said surface bytheload pressure exerted inwardly upon vsaidband, whereby said bolt is stressed in shear.

' 6; Incombination, a wheel, a road band, means `for securing the road band on the wheel comprising a member Xed tothe wheel, a second member fixed to the road band and having overlapping.engagement` with said iirst member, abolt for `clamping said members together, said bolt being supported in one member, theother member having a slot therein'adapted to receive said bolt, said slotperniitting relative adjustment of the members to compensate for variations in the diameter of saidhwheeland said road band, said slot being disposed Vat an angle relative to a radius of the wheel passing through the slot,

LMER 'MCCORMICK JOHN E; CADE. 

